Oxy-fuel combustion technology for coal-fired power generation

The awareness of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in the development of new technologies with lower emissions and technologies that can accommodate capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. For existing coal-fired combustion plants there are two main options for CO2 capture: removal of nitrogen from flue gases or removal of nitrogen from air before combustion to obtain a gas stream ready for geo-sequestration. In oxy-fuel combustion, fuel is combusted in pure oxygen rather than air. This technology recycles flue gas back into the furnace to control temperature and makeup the volume of the missing N2 to ensure there is sufficient gas to maintain the temperature and heat flux profiles in the boiler. A further advantage of the technology revealed in pilot-scale tests is substantially reduced NOx emissions. For coal-fired combustion, the technology was suggested in the eighties, however, recent developments have led to a renewed interest in the technology. This paper provides a comprehensive review of research that has been undertaken, gives the status of the technology development and assessments providing comparisons with other power generation options, and suggests research needs.